Improving Roadrunners test home winning streak against reeling UTEP

UTSA men's basketball head coach Steve Henson as the Roadrunners take on Lamar on Tuesday night. Photo taken Tuesday 11/22/16 Ryan Pelham/The Enterprise

Photo: Ryan Pelham / Ryan Pelham/The Enterprise

UTSA coach Steve Henson has altered his practice schedule the past few days preparing for the switching defensive schemes of wily veteran UTEP coach Tim Floyd.

Although the Miners have struggled so far this season, Henson knows his team will have to be supremely prepared in its Conference USA opener Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

“We’re mad at him today for messing up our practice with all of his crazy defenses,” Henson said with a chuckle. “But we have a ton of respect for him.”

The Roadrunners have played well recently, winning three of their last four games. Shooting and ball movement have picked up as the Roadrunners (5-8) have hit at least 48 percent in three of those games.

“We went seven or eight games where we shot 40 percent one time,” Henson said. “I wish we were talking about shooting over 50 percent, but we’re making baby steps.”

The recent surge pushed UTSA’s home winning streak to five games this season as the Roadrunners already have matched their win total from last season’s 5-27 record.

“Everybody knows we’ve had a tough road stretch, but we know we can win at home,” senior center Lucas O’Brien said. “We have a very good mood about us knowing we can win at home. We have fan support. Home games are definitely a good thing for us.”

They still figure to have their work cut out for them against a reeling UTEP team which dropped its ninth straight loss Friday night at New Mexico State. The Miners’ 2-10 start is their worst in 64 seasons.

“Their record is misleading,” Henson said. “They’ve been right there in a bunch of those games with a pretty good schedule, and they’ve played some tough opponents.”

The recent surge has built some confidence in the Roadrunners’ young rotation. UTSA’s top seven players in minutes played all are underclassmen, including three freshmen.

“I think our guys are feeling pretty good right now, better than we were a few weeks ago on the offensive end,” Henson said. “We’re still a work in progress, but our guys understand that.”

Tim Griffin has been a journalist for more than 30 years working at a variety of newspapers and websites, including more than 25 years at the San Antonio Express-News. He has covered all four Spurs NBA championship series victories, along with 12 national championship football games and five Final Fours. Griffin has been honored nationally and regionally for his writing and enterprise and was a former national president of the Football Writers Association of America. He is a graduate of the University of Memphis and is married with one son.